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Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Classic Club One Year Update

So, a year ago this month I made my list (which took about an hour, with my husbands consultation) and joined the Classics Club. How am I feeling one year on?

I'm feeling good! I've knocked 10 books off my list, which puts me exactly where I should be for the 50-books-in-5-years target. So far I've read:

Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott

The Blind Assassin, by Margaret Atwood

Sanditon & The Watsons, by Jane Austen

A Bear Called Paddington, by Michael Bond

Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte

Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo

Cloud Atlas, by David Mitchell

Anne of Green Gables, by L.M Montgomery

Anne of Avonlea, by L.M Montgomery

Life at Blandings, by P.G Wodehouse

I find it interesting that I've knocked most of the children's classics I had on the list off this year! (and have really enjoyed every single one). It's been a difficult year in terms of reading time, reflecting a beautiful year in terms of my personal life - I live in a different country, with a different and much better job, and an almost completed post-grad diploma more than I had a year ago. It's no wonder I've tender towards the 'lighter' reads. That being said, I knocked off one of the longest reads on my list, Les Miserables.

So far, The Blind Assassin has been the only list book I haven't enjoyed. Everything else has been 4 or 5 stars! I guess classics are classics for a reason! I've also enjoyed being opened up to more classics. I've read several off-list classics in the past year, added more to my to-read list and am genuinely looking forward to going back to series I've started through the list (Little Women, Anne of Green Gables, and Blandings Castle in particular). I'm definitely finding classic reading less of a chore than I did a year ago and am enjoying my extended knowledge because of what I have read.

So here's to another year of reading the classics! I'm already into my 11th book (The Canterbury Tales) and have my 12th in my library bag.

7 comments:

Sounds like a very successful start. I've just finished my first Classics Club selection (Smith by Leon Garfield) and am in the middle of my second (Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope). I hope I enjoy my first 10 as much as you did.

I like the eclecticness of the books that you've read so far. I see that you're reading Three Men in a Boat. It's hilarious; one of my favourites! Reading The Cantebury Tales is very ambitious. I hope you enjoy it!

Congrats on staying on track over your first year! Les Mis is a great one to have finished already, as it's so long. I read it in December, and din't like it as much as you did.Hope you enjoy the next four years :)

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Hi! I'm Sarah. I love books. And reading. And words in general. Also crafty things, many crafty things.
In real life I'm in my early twenties, married and live in a terraced house somewhere in the middle of the UK. Which is a bit of a novelty for this New Zealand farm girl.